From the Candidate: David R. Ryan

Name: David R. Ryan

Age: 70

Party, position seeking: Democrat — Zoning Commission

Family information: Gail, a Simsbury Public Library Trustee from 1992 to the present, and Dave have lived in Simsbury for 32 years. Their two children received a great education in the Simsbury Public Schools.

Occupation: Dave is an electrical engineer with an MBA. He has spent the past 22 years consulting for large, medium and small companies developing business plans and marketing strategies in a variety of technologies.

Political experience: Since 1999, Dave has served on a number of Simsbury boards and commissions: zoning commission (alternate), charter revision commission, performing arts center board (chairman), board of selectmen, planning commission, economic development commission. He has been a member of the Simsbury Democratic Town Committee for 12 years, including four years as chairman.

Other experience: Dave served as president of Babe Ruth Baseball, a manager in Simsbury Little League, a youth hockey coach, all in Simsbury. He has also served as the treasurer and a board member at the 4H Center at Auer Farm in Bloomfield.

Statement: As empowered by state statute, the Simsbury Zoning Commission establishes and modifies the Simsbury Zoning Regulations and passes upon requests for special exceptions. It also acts upon requests for zone changes. Within the confines of state statutes and court precedents, the zoning commission has a great influence over property values and quality of life in Simsbury. Eighty years, or so, ago, zoning was invented to separate land uses to protect land owners from each other. Over time, the downside(s) of land use separation have become more apparent. For the last 15 or 20 years, the New Urbanism movement has been successfully advocating new approaches to land use regulation, other than strict separation of uses. New Urbanism promotes walkable communities with embedded mixed uses. This ideal is attractive, but the basis for regulation is much more subjective. There are greater opportunities for abuse and legal challenges. Knowledgeable decisions will be important in land use regulation.

Simsbury’s rural character is a key factor in the desirability of the town, and therefore in supporting its property values. Neither I, nor my family, have any real estate or business interest in Simsbury, other than our house. My personal interests are well aligned with the vast majority of Simsbury residents. I want to maintain Simsbury’s rural character because it offers a great quality of life, and it helps sustain property values. Commercial development done solely for tax revenue is misguided. However, commercial development should be aggressively encouraged to enhance Simsbury’s quality of life by providing employment and by supplying desired goods and services. Simsbury is in competition with its neighbors for these things.

The new PAD regulation and the new Center Zone regulation, both of which I supported while an alternate member of the zoning commission, provide the tools for the zoning commission to exercise good judgment in fostering development that improves Simsbury as a place to live and raise a family. I bring experience and dedication to the task. I would like to continue serving Simsbury as a member of the zoning commission.